1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a gas generator for fumigating animal houses or other uses having a base divided into multiple compartments for holding water and gas producing materials such as paraformaldehyde flakes or the like with a heater element associated with the base for heating the flakes to release formaldehyde gas and heating the water to produce moisture or humidity mixed with the gas utilized in a more effective method of fumigating animal houses or the like. Two types of hoods are associated with the base so that air currents produced by the heated gas discharges the gas from the upper end of the hood without a fan or blower. The hoods are generally frustoconical in configuration with one embodiment of the hood including an open apex and the other embodiment of the hood including a tubular member for connection with a flexible pipe, hose or the like to enable the gas to be discharged into a desired area remote from the upper end of the hood. The base includes air inlet openings or vents to facilitate air circulation and discharge of the generated gas from the apex of the hood.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices for producing gas by heating a gas producing material are generally known with the following U.S. patents disclosing various developments in this field of endeavor.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. 665,794 Melzer 1/8/01 U.S. Pat. No. 1,837,264 Hackley 12/22/31 U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,832 Kaitz 7/25/61 U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,146 Roy et al 9/26/72 U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,074 Decupper 6/11/74 U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,038 Anderson 8/5/75 U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,087 Cline et al 8/28/79 ______________________________________
While the above patents are relevant to this invention, they do not disclose the particular structure of the compartmented base with vent openings combined with a hood structure so that gas is generated in the base, mixed with humidity and disseminated from the hood without the use of a fan or blower.